Show me the ROI, social media.
For those of you who have yet to see the value in social media, Facebook’s new “gift” feature may make you change your mind.
This morning, when I went to wish my sister-in-law a “Happy Birthday” there was a little present icon that recommended I “give a gift.” This icon caught my attention so I clicked on it, and up pops “Recommended Birthday Gifts” accompanied with prices.
Recommended gifts range from a digital $5 Starbucks gift card to $60 + for jewelry or $99 for a spa bathrobe.
It’s a simple three-step process for gift-givers.
Step 1: Choose gift.
Step 2: Add message.
Step 3: Review order.
With more than 500 million active users, who spend over 700 billion minutes a month on Facebook, this little icon could be dangerous… for consumers’ pocketbooks. Facebook has made this gift giving feature so easy to use that it is a no-brainer for people looking to send last minute gifts or for those who do not have the time to browse the Internet, figure out their loved one’s address and then fret about whether or not the gift makes it in time.
I cannot remember the last time I was excited about an update from Facebook (most likely because the only time I hear from Facebook is when they do a privacy update), but this new feature, I believe, is a game changer.
As if the process was not already easy enough, Facebook makes it even easier by not requiring that you know the person’s shipping address because it asks the receiver of the gift to provide that information.
My question is: Are the recommended gifts personalized based on each user’s search history? If it is not already, I am sure that it won’t take too long for that feature to be revealed.